Swedish company to buy Lankan textiles after Serendibe Fair

BY SHIRAJIV Sirimane

A Swedish based company, Sanden Textiles, is to sign up with four Sri Lankan companies to supply textiles to them. The deal was made at the Serendibe exhibition organised by the Export Development Board. (EDB) and concluded at the Kaladuwa, Colombo last Sunday.

The company is keen on bed and table linen, towels, curtains, serviets and other items. Director of Sanden Textiles, Vitaliya Hogg said that they will initially place orders for nearly Euro 90 million.

"We have seen that Sri Lankan textiles and other products are of very high quality and they can be easily marketed in Sweden and Holland," she said.

She said that they have already visited some factories and was happy with their manufacturing process as well. The company is a direct supply to multi million dollar textile companies and large super markets.

In addition the company also supplies linen and textile related items to leading hotels, restaurants, hospitals and schools. "Sri Lankan products would be very popular in both Sweden and Holland," she said.

The company is importing their products from the Russian and the Baltic countries and this is the first time they are placing an order with an Asian country. "If the Sri Lankan companies can maintain the quality of their products we would increase these orders," she said.

Sanden Textiles, founded in 1873 and with a turnover of Euro 5.5 million last year has won many awards for quality and design in Holland, California and Sweden in international exhibitions.